A new leak seems to suggest that Forza Horizon 5 could be getting a Hot Wheels-themed DLC.
According to AltChar, the leak first popped up on Steam via an updated banner for its Premium Add-Ons bundle. This was then spotted by Twitter user Wario64, who subsequently posted a screenshot of the banner. It looks legitimate enough, and if true, then it will be the second big toy-themed, collaborative DLC series for Forza following the big Lego update for Forza Horizon 4.
Here is the tweet:
First Forza Horizon 5 expansion is another Hot Wheels theme, according to an updated banner on Steam https://t.co/9IZFVZ4clq pic.twitter.com/hBcBPNdADB
— Wario64 (@Wario64) June 9, 2022
For now, there are no other concrete details about the aforementioned DLC - if this leak is even accurate, which it looks to be. However, TheLoadout shares that the Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels DLC "breaks" the traditional DLC format set forth by developer Playground Games.
According to them, any big expansion for Forza almost always starts with a new location that's so different from the main game. Then, the second expansion is the brand tie-in - hence the Lego or Hot Wheels theme. This was evident back in FH4 with the first expansion, Fortune Island, which was followed by the Lego add-on.
But this time around with the rumored Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels DLC, it looks like Playground wants to go in reverse. They're going for the brand collaboration first, and one could assume that the new explorable location expansion comes second.
However, this isn't actually the first time that Hot Wheels is doing something with the perennial Xbox/PC racing franchise. Forza Horizon 3 actually already did the Hot Wheels thing back in 2017, with the DLC itself being highly praised both by critics and fans. On metacritic, the add-on garnered an excellent metascore of 87 and an average User Score of 7.7. This basically puts the pressure on the next one for Forza Horizon 5, giving it some big shoes (or mags, rather) to fill.
Read also: Xbox Game Pass Could Get Demos Soon, Says New Rumor
More Forza Horizon 5 DLC At The Xbox & Bethesda Showcase?
The Xbox & Bethesda Showcase will serve as the stand-in for the canceled E3 2022, where the legendary Skyrim maker and the rest of Xbox could reeal more DLCs for Forza Horizon 5.
forza horizon 5 screenshot
A lot of fans have been clamoring for expansions, considering how the latest Forza Horizon game has actually surpassed 20 million players at the time of this writing (via SportsKeeda). This milestone was achieved within just seven months of coming out, and it's not so surprising at all. FH5 was considered one of the best games of the past year, having won big at The Game Awards 2021 - including the plum of Best Sports/Racing Game.
So, will more DLC get revealed for FH5 at the showcase? It's not clear, but it certainly will be the perfect place for Microsoft and Xbox to do so. Considering how two of their big Bethesda games have been delayed already (Starfield and Redfall), fans are going to want something to tide them over until next year.
